


Dancing When You Don't Know The Next Step

by autumnyte



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Dirty Talk, Fade to Black, M/M, Morning After, Pillow Talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-26 17:51:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10791672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumnyte/pseuds/autumnyte
Summary: A continuation of the dancing scene from Reyes’s room in Tartarus. Rafi Ryder and Reyes need to work through some things. SAM ‘helps’ in his way.





	Dancing When You Don't Know The Next Step

**Author's Note:**

> Contains spoilers through Kadara. References to sex and explicit language, but no smut. I am planning future smut for these two, but wanted their conversation to be the focus for this first fic. 
> 
> (If you're curious what Rafi looks like or want to read more about him, [here](http://pierceaholic.tumblr.com/tagged/rafi-ryder) is a link to his tag on my tumblr.)

Rafi had never been much of a dancer. With enough booze in his system and a sufficiently infectious beat blaring, he could generally be persuaded to get up on the dance floor and make a fool of himself. But slow dancing was another matter entirely. He hadn’t attempted that calamitous endeavor since his early teens, when it had involved repeated toe-stepping and a disgruntled prom date. **  
**

So when Reyes started playing a mellow, jazzy tune on his omni-tool and extended his hand in invitation, Rafi hesitated. “I really don’t—”

Ignoring the half-hearted protest, Reyes grabbed him by the hand and yanked him to his feet. With a chuckle, he drew Rafi into an embrace and began to sway with him. “Relax. It’s not the waltz.”  

'Relax.' Rafi bit back a laugh at the suggestion. As if such a thing could be possible with Reyes this close, their bodies pressed together, Rafi’s own heartbeat thundering in his ears, and Reyes looking at him like he was the most fascinating person in the entire galaxy.

Reyes took a deep breath. “Since leaving the Nexus, my survival has depended on secrets. I don’t want any more of those between us, Rafi.”

Rafi studied Reyes's earnest expression. Despite a lingering kernel of worry that tugged at his chest, he wanted to believe that Reyes was sincere. “You’re the encrypted one.”

The words came out with more of an accusatory edge than he’d intended, but Reyes took them in stride, if his laughter was any indication.

“What?” Rafi asked.  

Reyes shook his head a little. “I was about to say something cheesy.”  

“Say it.”

“Consider me hacked.”

Rafi made a show of groaning, but he couldn’t hide his grin. “Just… stop talking,” he teased, and leaned in, covering Reyes’s mouth with his own.

When the song ended, they abandoned any pretense of dancing. Rafi stilled his feet and pulled Reyes into a deeper, more urgent kiss. Reyes cupped Rafi’s face with warm, gloved hands.

The sensation of rough fabric against his cheek made Rafi keenly aware of how many layers of clothing and armor were currently separating the two of them. He intended to remedy that immediately. Because despite a few stolen kisses and one spectacular quickie in a cave, they’d never managed to be naked, or even half-naked together.

Rafi’s lips grazed Reyes’s earlobe. “Is there a bed anywhere in this place?”  

“Hm. An odd question out of the blue.” Reyes smirked. “Why do you ask? General curiosity about the accommodations here at Tartarus?”

“Come on.” Rafi rolled his eyes. “You’re seriously going to make me spell it out?”

The smirk remained. “Oh, I’m enjoying this. Please do.”

If Reyes wasn’t going to play fair, neither was Rafi. He skimmed his lightly-armored fingertips along the front of Reyes’s pants. “I want you to take me to bed. A literal bed. Which probably sounds boring and vanilla to you. But I haven’t had sex in anything resembling a bed since the Milky Way, so now the idea has morphed into this thrilling, improbable fantasy for me. Nothing would get me hotter right now. I mean, don’t get me wrong, that cave was—”

“Intense,” Reyes offered, wetting his lips as he stared at Rafi's mouth. “Unforgettable.”

“Yeah,” Rafi agreed, heat spiking through him as the vivid memory flashed across his mind—Reyes pinning him against jagged stone, burying his face in Rafi's neck, the rumble of stifled moans, their hands strategically snaked inside one another’s armor, frantically stroking each other to climax before they could be overheard or discovered. “But this time… I want to see you, and taste you, and feel you. All of you. Every inch of your skin on mine.” He palmed Reyes’s cock through his pants and squeezed, whispering roughly, “And I want you to fuck me until I can’t see straight.”

Reyes’s breath hitched. “I think that can be arranged.” He kissed Rafi quickly, then stepped across the room toward the only section of wall that wasn’t blocked by furniture or equipment. “Keep in mind, this, uh... isn’t quite what it looks like,” he mumbled, then flipped a switch which lowered the wall panel to reveal a makeshift murphy bed.

Rafi threw his head back and laughed. “You’ve had a mattress hidden in the wall this whole time? Amazing. When I asked, I figured maybe Tartarus had a secret sex room somewhere for high-paying clients. Not that we were standing in it.” He slow-clapped. “I’ve never seen one of these things in real life before. The ultimate seduction accessory. Bravo, Vidal. Smooth.”

“Poke fun at me all you like, but it’s not as if I asked to have the thing installed. It was already part of the lounge when I started renting it. I think the dancers used to nap here during off-shifts.” Reyes shrugged. “I’ve never really used it. To tell the truth, it’s not especially comfortable.” He walked back over to Rafi and wrapped both arms around his waist. “But you want me to take you to bed, and I am nothing if not an accommodating man. In this case, beggars can’t be choosers.”

Rafi sighed. “Yeah. There are too many eyes on the Tempest right now for you to be seen boarding it.” He pressed his palm flat against the center of Reyes’s chest, briefly allowing himself to imagine the bare torso that was beneath the layers. “And I’m guessing your alternative residence is…?”

“Far off the beaten path. I was planning to bring you there sometime. We could arrange to go now… but we’d have to follow a circuitous route. At least a forty-minute drive in the Nomad. And that’s if we don’t run into any trouble along the way.”  

“Forget it. I need you now.” Rafi kissed Reyes again, nipping at his lower lip. He glanced over at the bed. “We can work with that thing. Tell me the sheets are clean, at least.”

Reyes chuckled. “Clean enough, I’m sure. I’d never have guessed the same man who made me come in my pants while standing in a filthy cave with half a dozen people standing right outside would be finicky about bedding.”

“Are you calling me a prima donna?“

“I’m teasing.” Reyes smiled and accessed some sort of intercom via his omni-tool. “Kian? I have a request. I’d appreciate it if you could make sure I have absolutely no interruptions until morning.”

After a beat, Kian’s voice came through loud and clear. “Understood. I’ll pass it on to the staff.”  

“Thanks, friend.” Reyes lowered his arm and fixed Rafi with a hungry look.

A surge of arousal went straight through Rafi, powerful enough that he could feel his muscles tremble. “Morning, huh? Sounds like someone’s confident we’ll be going at it all night.”

“I wouldn't say, ‘confident’. More like hopeful,” Reyes murmured as he leaned in, his lips hovering close to Rafi’s. “I have a lot of plans for you.”

*****

After an ecstatic blur of hours spent tangled naked in bed with Reyes, Rafi had lost all sense of time. He suspected, however, that the sun was up in Kadara Port.

Sweat-slick, sticky, and wonderfully sore, his body still thrummed with post-orgasmic adrenaline. He didn’t need a mirror to know that he looked thoroughly wrecked. He rolled over to take in the sight of Reyes, who was consummately debauched—hair wild, eyes glossy, marks of passion scattered all over his skin.

Rafi reached up and traced Reyes’s kiss-swollen lips with the pad of his thumb. “I think we have to break up.”

Reyes arched a dubious eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I mean, I like you and all”—Rafi flashed him a playful grin—“but you’re lousy in bed.”

A grin spread across Reyes’s face as well. “Am I?”

“Awful. Easily the worst I’ve ever had.”

Reyes tsked. “I hate to disappoint. And here I thought you’d been enjoying yourself. All that moaning.”

“Moans of boredom.”  

“Ah.” Reyes cupped Rafi’s cheek and trailed kisses along his jawline. “And you screaming my name?”

“Just being polite,” Rafi whispered, tipping his head back and closing his eyes.

“Well, you have truly impeccable manners.” Reyes kissed a path down Rafi’s neck and sucked hard on the sensitive pulse-point just below his ear.

A quiet moan vibrated in Rafi’s throat.

“Uh-oh.” Reyes met his eyes, wearing a smirk. “Bored again?”   

Rafi gently punched him in the arm. “Please tell me you aren’t angling for round four. Because all kidding aside, you’ve fucking demolished me. In the best way possible, but damn. I’m barely going to be able to walk as it is.”  

“No. I yield, too,” Reyes murmured, and curled an arm around Rafi’s waist. “I don’t think we could top that last one, anyway. At least, not today.”  

With a contented sigh, Rafi relaxed against Reyes, fingertips drawing lazy figure-eights on the center of his chest. “You know, you could have at least pretended to entertain the idea that you might be bad in bed. Cocky bastard.”  

“That had nothing to do with cockiness.” Reyes ran a hand through Rafi’s hair. “It had everything to do with you being a terrible liar. You're the worst I've ever met.”

“Yeah, I'm sure I am." The energy between them changed in an instant. Cooled. "Thing is, I’m even worse at realizing when I’m being lied to.” Rafi sat up and stared into hazel eyes that were narrowed with concern.  

“Rafi, if I could go back and do things differently—”

Rafi covered Reyes’s lips with a finger. “I know. Look, I’m sorry. We’ve been over this. I didn’t mean to rehash it again. It’s just… I wear my heart on my sleeve, for better or worse. My whole life, people have told me it’s a flaw—especially now that I’m Pathfinder—and they’re probably right, but it's who I am. It’s who I’ve always been. And even though we agreed to try the ‘no more secrets’ thing, it’s kinda scary for me to be involved with someone whose default instinct is the opposite.”

“Does it help if I admit it’s scary for me, too?” Reyes took Rafi’s hand. “I want to be an open book for you… as much as I can. It’s not a feeling I’m used to.” He sighed. “Try me. Ask me any question and I’ll answer truthfully. I promise.”

Rafi’s mind reeled with the options. There were dozens of major things he was eager to ask Reyes about—his family, his background, his life back in the Milky Way. But he knew the gesture was a big step for Reyes, so he decided to start with something smaller and more personal. “Would you be interested in me if I wasn’t the Pathfinder?”

Reyes blinked in surprise. It clearly wasn’t the question he’d been expecting. “I’m not with you because you’re the Pathfinder.”

Warmth spread through Rafi’s chest and the corners of his mouth curved upward. “That’s not what I meant, but… still good to hear. I’m asking whether you ever would have given me a second glance if I was just some nobody. Former military, biotic fuck-up, a questionable member of the Pathfinder team thanks to good old-fashioned nepotism.”

Reyes chuckled. “You’ve got a strange definition of being a ‘nobody’. You’ve also thrown me for a bit of a loop. I wasn’t prepared for a hypothetical. It’s hard to answer with complete honesty, because I’ve only ever known you as Pathfinder. What were you like before?”

Rafi gazed down at their intertwined hands. Why had he poked at this particular hornet’s nest, anyway? He hated thinking about the ways in which the whole Pathfinder thing had or hadn’t changed him. It wasn't like he’d had a choice in the matter. “Think of me as basically the same, but without the weight of the galaxy on my shoulders. Also, without an AI who helps me solve puzzles and occasionally makes me sound like I actually know what I’m talking about.”

“Were you a hero type back then?” Reyes asked. “The same unflinching force of nature with a big heart, fighting for the downtrodden, making other people’s problems his own?”  

Rafi scoffed. “God, that makes me sound insufferable. And it gives me way more credit than I deserve. It’s not like I’m some knight in shining armor. Tann might try to paint me that way for the optics, but you know better than anyone how gray things get. How much I have to compromise myself.”  

“You're far from insufferable, and tarnished armor doesn’t mean you’re not heroic. I might not always understand your selflessness… but it’s one of the things I admire about you. So, I’m asking if helping people was a part of who you were before.”

Reluctantly, Rafi nodded. “I guess so. On a smaller, much less overwhelming scale, but yeah.”

Reyes reached up to caress his cheek. “Did you always change the entire energy of a room just by entering it? Were your laugh and smile as contagious? Did your ass look as incredible as it does now?”

A flush crept up Rafi’s neck. “Reyes. Come on.”

“Here's the truth, I don’t know whether our paths would have crossed if you weren’t Pathfinder. But if they did, I’d have noticed you. And I can’t imagine I would’ve been anything less than captivated.” 

Rafi tried, but failed, not to go giddy over that response. Mercifully, Reyes leaned in and kissed away whatever dopey expression he was wearing.

“Do I get a question in return?” Reyes inquired, as he pulled back.  

Slightly dazed from the unexpected kiss, Rafi shrugged. “Sure, fire away.”

“Actually, it’s more of a question for SAM.”

“For SAM?” Rafi repeated, trepidation creeping into his voice. He’d told Reyes everything about SAM, and Reyes had assured him it wasn’t a problem, but what if he’d changed his mind?

“I’m curious to know what he thinks of me,” Reyes said. “And of us.”

“I mean, that’s... fair.” Rafi swallowed a lump of nerves. He initiated his private channel. _SAM, you around?_

_«I am here, Pathfinder.»_

Of course he was. Rafi was all too aware that the privacy SAM granted him during intimate moments was largely an illusion. _Feel like answering a question for Reyes? Is there even a way you can talk to him directly, since he doesn’t have an implant?_

_«Since the Tempest is within range, your omni-tool could be configured to serve as a local terminal. I am willing to address his query, if you wish. Should I respond truthfully?»_

_Yeah, but uh… can you, like, maybe do it in a way that won’t completely embarrass me or scare him off? Please?_

_«Unknown. However, I will attempt it.»_

“Great,” Rafi muttered aloud, and reached to the floor for his omni-tool.

Reyes frowned. “Is there a problem?”

“Nope. Just talking to SAM. Gotta get this set up so you’ll be able to hear him.” Rafi tinkered with the omni-tool as SAM talked him through the set-up. When he was finished, he tapped it with a dramatic flourish. “Is this thing on?”

SAM’s voice came through clearly. “I believe so. Good morning, Mr. Vidal.”

Reyes lifted both eyebrows in surprise, causing Rafi to wonder how he'd expected SAM to sound. Reyes cleared his throat. “Hello, SAM. Thanks for, uh, joining us. Though, I guess you’ve been here all along.”

SAM answered, “I have been attempting to divert my attention since yesterday evening. However, it has proven difficult to do so continuously, as your sexual exchanges were of a greater frequency and duration than I anticipated, based on data from previous experiences.”

Reyes laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Rafi groaned and buried his face in his hands.

“I apologize for having made you uncomfortable, Ryder,” SAM said. “Should I answer Mr. Vidal’s question now?”

“Go for it.” Rafi peeked through his fingers enough to give Reyes a rueful glare. “Just remember, you requested this.”

Reyes nodded. “You can call me ‘Reyes’, SAM.”

“Very well, Reyes. In response to your query, certain aspects of my analysis of you remain incomplete,” SAM began. “I lack information on your profile and history which could place your actions in a broader context. Additionally, I am still attempting to determine why I was unable to detect your lying and misdirection regarding your identity as the Charlatan.”

A glimmer of sorrow in Reyes's eyes made Rafi wish he’d never agreed to let SAM answer.

“The past is past,” Reyes said. “I don’t like to talk about it. But for Rafi… I'll share more when the time is right. As for the rest, I don’t recall that I ever lied. Not directly.”

Sam replied, “You told Ryder that you were envious of the Charlatan’s code name, a statement which clearly implied that you could not be the Charlatan. You also indicated there was a possibility that Zia could be meeting with the Charlatan, when you knew that was not the case. Those are the only explicit lies I could discern, but as you are aware, additional misdirection occurred on multiple occasions.”

“Look, it doesn’t even matter anymore,” Rafi interjected, putting a hand on Reyes’s arm. “SAM, take it easy on him.”

“It’s all right. I did ask,” Reyes said, softly. “I thought there was a possibility Zia could’ve been meeting with an individual masquerading as the Charlatan, so I hadn't really thought of that as a lie. The joke I made about being jealous of the Charlatan’s name wasn’t intended as deception… believe it or not, it was the opposite. By that point, I was struggling with whether or not to reveal myself to Rafi. I meant it to be a hint of sorts. Some part of me hoped he would connect the dots. It was too roundabout, and it seems far-fetched in retrospect, but I assure you that made sense to me at the time. From the first night we met, I made every effort not to lie directly. I didn’t like deceiving you, even though I deemed it necessary.”

Rafi brushed a kiss against Reyes’s shoulder. “I get it. I believe you.”

“If you did not perceive yourself as telling a lie, that could be why I did not observe the usual biological indicators,” SAM explained. After a pause, he continued, “Reyes, the remainder of my analysis is filtered through Ryder’s perceptions of you, which are overwhelmingly positive. His mind is frequently occupied with thoughts and memories of you, several of which I do not understand, though my understanding continues to evolve. He cares for you. He believes in you. He has determined that you will be beneficial to Kadara, but beyond that, he feels strongly that you are special, that you possess the capacity for further greatness. He wants to be right about you, and believes that you will prove your critics mistaken. For Ryder’s own sake, and for the success of the Initiative, I hope he is right about you as well.”

Rafi’s cheeks burned as he turned away and closed his eyes, but the sensation of Reyes’s warm hands cradling his face made him open them again.

Reyes was beaming at him. “SAM, you still haven’t shared your thoughts on our relationship. I imagine it must affect you, at least a little. I would hate to think that you’re trapped, like an unwilling party.”

SAM fell silent briefly, and Rafi knew he was processing. “Thank you for the concern, Reyes. I have had this conversation with Ryder as well. I am not unwilling and I do not feel trapped. I am enjoying the relationship you two share. It has allowed me a window to several new experiences, such as observing the development of a human romantic partnership from its inception. I do not have sufficient data to predict how it will develop, and that uncertainty also interests me. I look forward to the continued experience.”

Rafi closed his eyes again and sighed. This whole thing with SAM had to be weird, and way more than Reyes bargained for. “Listen, if this is too much for you… I know we talked about the AI thing, like, as a concept, but if the reality of me playing host to SAM has changed—”

The words were cut off by Reyes’s lips pressing against his—firm and determined.

“Nothing’s changed,” Reyes whispered, echoing the pledge Rafi had made to him a few days earlier.

“You mean... you’re still in?” Rafi asked, breathless and more than a little relieved.

“Still in.”

They kissed again, fast and hard, until Rafi fell back against the mattress and tugged Reyes down with him.

“Should I attempt to occupy myself elsewhere again?” SAM’s voice interrupted from the omni-tool.

With the mood broken, Rafi forced himself to peel apart from Reyes. He blew out a long, heavy breath. Elaaden was waiting for the Pathfinder, and the Charlatan had his work cut out for him, too. Not to mention the crew had been incredibly patient, sitting around the port all night with no active mission, and likely running interference on his behalf with Addison and Tann. “I really, really hate to go, but…”

“I know. I’m grateful I got to monopolize your time for as long as I did.” Reyes sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed.

“If everything goes well, I should be back on Kadara in a little over a week. Until then, we can email. Maybe vidcon?” Rafi stood, and when he bent down to pick up his armor, the after-effects of their night together made him wince.

Reyes gave a sympathetic cluck. “You going to be okay walking through the slums and back up to the ship?”

“If I put my helmet on so no one sees this disastrous sex hair until I’ve showered? I’ll be fine.” Rafi gingerly stepped into his underwear.

SAM’s voice resurfaced on the private channel. _«Ryder, I could employ focused, accelerated healing to reduce your discomfort.»_

Rafi glanced over at Reyes, who had both arms raised above his head in a languid stretch. He was naked, gorgeous, relaxed, and less guarded than Rafi had ever seen him before. An ache twisted in the pit of Rafi’s stomach, as the full weight of how much he was going to miss Reyes hit him.

_Don’t do a damn thing, SAM. I want to feel him for as long as I can._


End file.
